CHINA'S transport sector activity bounced back in April after a sharp drop in March, according to the State Statistical Information and Consultancy Service Centre.

Freight transport volume in the first four months of the year edged up 2.2 per cent, compared with two per cent growth in the first quarter, the centre said in a report.

For all of last year, transport volume fell 0.2 per cent.

The growth for the January-April period, however, was still slower than the 4.7 per cent rise in the first two months and the 10.9 per cent growth in January.

Freight transport volume stood at 898 million tonnes for January-April, the report said.

Of the total, rail freight grew by 3.7 per cent on last year to 518 million tonnes, while truck freight dropped by 8.1 per cent to 166 million tonnes.

Ship freight expanded 7.9 per cent to 214 million tonnes, while air freight was up 21.1 per cent to 243,000 tonnes.

Freight turnover rose 7.8 per cent to 871.83 tonne-kilometres.

Of the total, railways reported a 6.7 per cent rise to 402.97 billion tonne-kilometres, while truck freight turnover dropped by three per cent to 9.54 billion tonne-kilometres.

Air freight turnover generated 528 million tonne-kilometres, up 14.8 per cent, and ship freight turnover climbed 9.1 per cent to 458.8 billion tonne-kilometres.

In April alone, railways shipped 134 million tonnes of freight.

Major coastal ports handled 215 million tonnes of cargo in the first four months, seven per cent more than the same period last year.

Meanwhile, containers hauled between China and Japan in February totalled 45,476 TEUs (20 ft equivalent units), up 39 per cent from a year ago, according to figures released by the Japan-China Marine Transportation Council.

China-bound cargo was up 28.3 per cent to 14,667 TEUs and Japan-bound boxes were up 44.7 per cent to 30,809.

Cargo bound for Shanghai amounted to 5,160 TEUs, up 64.8 per cent, including 1,521 TEUs of feeder cargo trans-shipped in Japan.

Japan-bound cargo from Tianjin came to 4,340 TEUs, up 10 per cent, including 126 TEUs of feeder cargo.

Qingdao-bound cargo amounted to 1,349 TEUs, up 84 per cent, including 655 TEUs of feeder cargo.

Cargo from Qingdao to Japan totalled 3,528 TEUs, up 39.9 per cent, including 696 TEUs of feeder cargo.

Dalian-bound cargo was 2,080 TEUs, down 7.9 per cent, including 1,003 TEUs of feeder cargo.

Japan-bound cargo from Dalian stood at 3,329 TEUs, down 3.3 per cent.

including 764 feedered boxes.

Of the total, Japanese ships transported 4,900 TEUs in February, down 8.5 per cent, with a loading ratio of 10.8 per cent, while Chinese vessels carried 40,576 TEUs, up 48.3 per cent, with a loading ratio of 89.1 per cent.